Screeching Black Raven, Silent Bright Girl
by akafyi
Summary: Li Takahashi isn't typically the talkative type of person. She's very quiet and doesn't speak to anyone she knows not of. Jushiro Ukitake plans to change that, but not forcefully. Little by little. She also resembles somewhat of Toshiro Hitsugaya. Not by looks, by brains and similar childhoods; though they don't get off on the right track when they bump into each other...literally
1. Chapter 1

Screeching, Black Raven; Silent, Bright Girl

**Chapter 1: "New Recruit"**

* * *

"Hey, did you hear?" asked a masculine voice.

"Depends, hear what?" another asked.

"Squad Thirteen is getting a new member. I hear she graduated in less then three years."

"What? You're kidding?"

"Nope, that's what the others are saying."

"Who?"

"Oh just some other squad members here giving the news cause' ya know people can't keep secrets, especially when a new student is joining a squad."

"Yea yur right, but wow three years? She must be pretty smart then."

"Yea, but I heard _rumors_ other people were saying that people called her a freak and she got into a lot of fights and-"

"Wait, wait, wait fights? So is she a trouble maker? And why did people call her a freak?"

"You didn't let me finish, people were saying she got into fights and in trouble a lot only cause' she wouldn't answer anyone, not even the teachers; saying she was silent most of the time. They said that when she was being beat up and a teacher came by to find the kids beating her, she wouldn't answer them to assure if she was alright. The teacher would scold the students and punish them, but not her."

"Why wouldn't they reprimand her?"

"From what I heard, they said she wouldn't fight back and knew she couldn't have said anything to aggravate them, cuz, I mean c'mon, she was silent all the time. They knew she didn't fight back because they found no injury on her attackers so, yea."

"Yea, yea I get what you mean now. But, sheesh, why _would_ they attack her and call her a freak? For getting into a squad in less than three years, that's pretty damn good. Other than Captain Hitsugaya, that rarely happens every hundred years let alone a thousand."

The two men continued their chit-chat about the new girl joining Squad Thirteen. This girl doesn't typically talk. In fact she rarely ever talks at all. It would be incredible to find her speaking with someone, let alone anything.

As the men continued their conversation about this, a girl walked around a corner towards their direction, but not towards them. They both stopped to take a gander at her as she passed by. They assumed she was the new recruit, only because they had never seen her around the Seireitei before.

She's average height, around five-six, with long, wavy twilight-black hair that reached half-way down her back and big salmon eyes. But even though her eyes were big, they had no emotion inside them. Almost as if they were silent. No joy, happiness, anything. Focused on one thing, but which that that cannot be described.

As she neared them and is right by their side, they both popped out from the corner of eye and stood in front of her blocking her path. They were a few inches taller than her so she had to look up to meet them eye to eye. Still, no emotion in her eyes what-so-ever. Not even surprise with them jumping in front of her.

"Hi there, I'm Mizu Kouseki," the one with brown hair and blue eyes said.

"And my name is Tsu-ru Hadankyou. I take it you're the new recruit joining Squad Thirteen? What's your name?" the other one asked politely. He as well had brown hair, but gray eyes.

She didn't look surprised when they jumped out in front of her, which is what a bunch of kids in the academy would do to her. Jump in front of her, block her path, and pound her till she was coughing up blood because she wouldn't answer their questions. Yet, she never fought back, never spoke about it or anything. And everyone considered her a freak because of that. She would get in trouble with teachers when they asked her questions and she never answered. She would just stare at the teacher as if he asked someone else with deep, emotionless, salmon eyes that spoke, "Ask someone else. I will not answer your question". She has never even once smiled in the academy. Though she had a friend before she joined, Hiradoma Sakuranbo, that somehow was able to make her smile a couple times. They were very much alike; didn't talk much around others, only when they were alone. She was only friend Li ever had who saw the world the same way she did.

She just stared at the men as if saying, "Move or die." Didn't blink, didn't flinch, had no movement in her body. That reminded them of Captain Unohana, though it's when she repeated herself and opened her eyes that freaked everyone out; having the dark clouds and lightning bolt behind her head like Frankenstein being brought back to life.

It sent a chill running down both men's spines and they had the freaked out smile across their faces. They immediately stepped out of her way and she continued walking like she knew where she was going, which she did. When she was far out of their sight both men looked at each other.

"That was really creepy," Mizu said.

"I know. She didn't say a word and I had a spine-tingling chill run down my back. Maybe that's why people considered her a freak," Tsu-ru said.

"We better not underestimate her though. After all, she did complete her six years in less than three in the academy," the blue-eyed man stated.

"Yea you're right. Well I gotta head back to Squad Two," Tsu-ru said.

"Yea I gotta go to Squad Eleven anyway. Captain Zaraki gets on my ass sometimes when I don't show up on time and tell him I succeeded in delivering the paperwork. As punishment, he makes Yachiru _play _with me," Mizu said. The two men said their farewells and departed from each other. They had a ways to go; they were in the barracks of Squad Seven. They were each on their way to deliver paperwork to the other captains, which they had finished, when Mizu spotted Tsu-ru to tell him the news about the new recruit.

* * *

"Captain!" yelled a jumpy female voice.

A short white haired captain turned around to find his lieutenant running towards him. When she caught up to him, he asked, "What is it Rangiku?"

"Did you hear that Squad Thirteen is getting a new recruit?" she asked excitedly.

"Yes, I am well aware of that," the short captain replied condescendingly.

"Well jeez, ya know ya don't haf to be so cruel when saying something like that," the busty woman protested.

He rolled his eyes and said sarcastically, "No, I didn't hear about the new recruit. Amuse me would you?"

Rangiku gave him a snarky look, he returning the same look.

"Come-on there's work to be done. We can't spend the entire day talking about her," he said walking away to his quarters.

"How do you know it's a girl?" she asked.

"Because I get the files and reports. Do you forget sometimes that I _am_ a captain," he said.

"Mmm, maybe sometimes," she said playfully with a smile.

He rolled his eyes and as he began walking away, he bumped into something. No someone.

He took a few steps back to realize that the person he bumped into was someone he hadn't seen before. The person was a tall, young girl with wavy, twilight-black hair and emotionless salmon eyes.

"Captain, are you alright?" Rangiku asked about ready to catch him if he fell.

"Yea, I'm okay," he replied getting his balance back. "Sorry, I didn't see you there. Are you okay?

The girl stared at him with her deep, despaired eyes. She said nothing to him, as if he were nothing but air. She didn't say, "Don't worry about it," or "Yea I'm alright, I didn't see you either." Not even "sorry". Nothing. She ignored him like nothing happened and continued on her way, not even making a sound. She was soon stopped by Rangiku's firm grasp on her left arm.

"Hey, that's pretty rude of you not to say you're sorry when you've bumped into someone, especially a captain," she said firmly holding tight onto the girl's arm. She didn't try to break free from it. All she did was look at her and the small captain. He looking like he was waiting for an apology and observing her at the same time. But she just looked away.

_She matches the files of the new recruit Squad Thirteen is getting, _the young captain thought. _Dark, long wavy hair and pink, no, salmon eyes, average height, about five-six, she is a little shorter than Rangiku so it must be her._

"Let her go Rangiku and head back to the office, I'll be there shortly," the captain demanded. Rangiku was hesitant, but obeyed her captain's request and released her grasp on the girl's arm and using flash step to leave. The girl stood in her spot looking away from the young captain.

"I take it you must be Li Takahashi, the new recruit of Squad Thirteen, am I right?" he asked. She didn't reply. She didn't even nod her head in confirmation. That irritated the captain. But he pushed that aside and continued.

"Okay then, allow me to introduce myself. I am Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya of Squad Ten," he said confidently. She didn't find it interesting. She turned her head. She didn't look at him as if to be surprised, but she looked at him with deep eyes that locked with his turquoise eyes and seemed colder than his own glares when he gets serious or upset. He stared at her with half widened eyes that held curiosity in them and asked, "Hello? Do you speak?"

She turned her head and began walking away.

"Hey," Hitsugaya said after her. He then caught up to her and grabbed her arm as well. "You know it's very rude not to introduce yourself or assure that you are who I am asking you are."

She didn't have to say anything. She twisted her head and locked her eyes with his again, but instead of them being despaired, it looked as if saying they were saying, "Let me go now or you are going to regret ever grabbing my arm." With that, he let go of her arm and she walked away vanishing from his sight in an instant. It sent chills running up his spine to have her look at him that way. After that chilling moment he went to his office.

* * *

The girl finally reached her destination, Squad Thirteen. She reported to the sickly Captain Ukitake and knocked on his office door.

"Come in," said a some-what English, proper accented voice. She slid open the doors, walked in, and closed the doors behind her. Sitting on the floor, at a table drinking tea, was a man with long, white hair and brown eyes wearing the captains' haori.

"Ah, you must be Li Takahashi correct? I've been expecting you," Ukitake said smiling warmly at her.

She just stared at him with those big, expressionless, salmon eyes.

He looked at her with confused brown eyes.

"Are you going to introduce yourself? You know it's rude not to. And usually when someone enters a squad they're excited. Are you not excited to be here? Is there something you're upset about or bothering you? You can tell me," the white haired man complied getting up and walking over to her, placing his right hand on her right shoulder. She looked up at him with ease, yet said nothing. When she saw his warm smile, it made her less angst and feel comfortable around him.

"Come-on. Why don't you have some tea," he said.

He walked her over and had her sit on the other side of the table. He poured a cup of hot tea and placed in front of her. She stared at it with peaceful eyes as he walked over to his desk and grabbed some papers.

He sat opposite of her and read the papers over, raising and eyebrow in astonishment.

"Well, it says here you graduated from the academy in less than three years. Two years, eight months and twelve days to be exact, but that is amazing," he said congratulating her with a warm smile. She blushed at him saying that because she wasn't used to positive attention or being praised.

Jushiro continued saying with a smile, "You know, Captain Hitsugaya also graduated the academy early and is the youngest captain in the history of soul reapers. He's the captain of Squad Ten and his lieutenant is Rangiku Matsumoto. You'll meet him one day, unless you already have on your way here."

The quiet girl's face turned from the red of blush to anger. She shot her head up at the sound of his name and looked at the older captain in frustration. She didn't like that captain. She didn't like when he was scolding her or when he grabbed her arm like his lieutenant did. She felt like punching him at that time. She feels like punching anyone who grabs her because she had to deal with it a tone of times during her time at the academy. But she always restrained herself because she knew that fighting doesn't solve anything. You can't fight fire with fire.

Her captain noticed she looked a little irritated at the sound of Hitsugaya's name, causing his smile across his face to disappear.

"Did you meet him already?" he asked. She turned her head in anger. She didn't want to think about him. Ukitake was wondering why she wouldn't spill a word, but as he read more of the files in the résumé about her, he read:

_Li Takahashi is a bright young girl, but doesn't intend on speaking with or assuring with people, not even answer questions when asked by an instructor or teacher. Intently, one's whom she knows not of around her being. She is not shy nor is she distant. Yet, she doesn't speak with or hang around others. She's very selfless and will give her life for others, even if she knows not who they are. Her expressions speak for herself. She needs no words in her sake and in one of her writings about herself, she states that 'actions speak louder than words. And for that reason, I do not intend to speak with anyone, anything. My words and expressions speak for me. Do not force me to say, speak, or do anything I do not wish to do and I will not force you.'_

Now the man understood, but still didn't. He looked at his new squad member with sorrowful eyes.

"I know you will most likely not answer this, but why do you not intend to speak? I know you say that 'actions speak louder than words', but what do you mean by that? You know you need to speak your mind, otherwise people won't take you seriously, so why?" her captain asked.

She looked at him with understandable eyes, her anger from earlier in the day evaporating from her mind. She was actually about to speak, for the first time since joining the academy and leaving her best friend behind in Hokutan in West Rukongai. She trusted the man enough to actually speak to him. He had the same warm smile Hiradoma did when they first met. But before she could say anything, she was interrupted when Third Seat Kiyone Kotetsu burst through the doors panting. Ukitake immediately bolted up knowing something was wrong. Kiyone wouldn't burst into the room without knocking unless it was an emergency.

"What's wrong Kiyone?" he asked.

Catching her breath, she said, "A Hollow and large one at that in Junrinan. That's all we could get from a Hell Butterfly sent from another soul reaper before it went silent."

Li's eyes widened in fear. _Junrinan? That's near Hiradoma, _she thought.

"Alright, come with me Li. I want to take you on your first assignment: Kill the Hollow," he said leaving the room with her following behind him. "As for you Kiyone, stay here and wait for my return alright?" The blonde girl nodded.

Ukitake and Li were jumping from roof to roof and using flash step to get to the location of the Hollow. They could sense its spiritual pressure a far distance away, but it was very feint. With every step closer they got, its power became even stronger. Li had never felt anything like this when she was in the academy, but she wasn't afraid. She was ready to take on anything that would stand in her way.

As they neared, they could see the Hollow becoming larger into their sight and a soul reaper wrapped in it's tongue being devoured by it; that was it. That soul reaper is now dead. Apparently he was too weak to defeat it, not even get a scratch on it. So how was he able to stay alive for this long and not even wound the Hollow?

The Hollow looked like a lizard that had six legs, but only four were usable because it had to stand on its hind legs. It has spikes on its back down to its tail, almost like the way Godzilla has it and its hole on the right shoulder

When they were only a flash step away from it, Ukitake said, "Now Li, I want you to defeat the Hollow. Show me how well you fight."

She withdrew her sword from its sheath without hesitation or looking at him with a questionable face. Before she lunged at the huge monster, she was stopped by Ukitake's voice.

"And don't worry, if things get out of hand, I will join the fight," he said. She looked at him and nodded, but then something was shot at them. The Hollow had noticed them and shot some sort of liquid at them. Fortunately, they flash stepped out of the way just in time. When it landed on a nearby tree, it made the leaves and branches start smoking and burning which soon made them disappear. A type of poison? No and acid.

Ukitake landed on a tree, but not the one that got hit by the acid, to watch how the girl fought.

Li, however, stayed in the air ready to fight. The Hollow tried swinging at her with one of its arms, but she used flash step and was behind it aiming to slice its mask in half from behind. As she neared, the Hollow whipped its tail at her, causing her to be driven off course. She slid across the air and got her footing. She went at it again, flash stepped and was right in front of its face with her sword above her head, but the Hollow disappeared, like a mist into thin air, causing her to cut nothing.

She looked around confused then was shocked to notice it behind her. It whipped its tail at her again, this time only, it had shard-like spikes on the tip of its tail. It must've attained the mist to make itself disappear from the soul reaper's zanpakutō it devoured moments ago. She dodged almost in time; it was able to get a few scratches on her back, which were stinging and burning deep into her flesh; her clothes smoking and burning off as well. She winced at the pain and ignored her clothing falling off. But the pain didn't stop her from fighting the huge beast.

"Be careful!" Ukitake yelled. He was most certain she would be alright, but he didn't want his new subordinate being seriously injured on her first day in a squad. She heard him, but didn't send him any indication she got the message.

She went to slice it, but it dodged by blocking its mask with its two left arms, causing her to cut those instead. The Hollow screeched in pain and tried punching her with its two right arms, but missed. She flash stepped out of sight and was behind it in no time. She was about ready to slice it, sword in the air, when it disappeared into a mist again.

The new squad member was smart enough to know it would end up behind her. So she immediately turned around to see it wailing the sharp tail at her again. This time, she cut the tip of the tail off, along with all of its spikes. It screeched in pain and disappeared into the mist and reappeared about thirty yards away trying to get as far away as possible from the girl. Then it got on all six legs and began charging at her with its mouth open and lashing its tongue at her. She tried to use flash step to avoid it and cut it off, but the pain in her back was now catching up to her and was spreading through her body, making her mind clog up. She couldn't think; her brain wouldn't send any message telling her body to move out of the way. The tongue wrapped around her and tightened its grip so she could hardly breathe. All she knew was the Hollow nearing her. She couldn't move, breathe, or think. She was helpless. She closed her eyes, and waited for the pain to strike, but it never did.

She opened her eyes to see her captain cutting its tongue off. Immediately the tongue wrapped around her slid off and she could breathe again, almost. It didn't even time to yell in pain; then again her brain wasn't receiving any message or sound from anywhere. He leapt right in front of its face and cut its mask instantly. They Hollowed disappeared into black reishi. She stared in amazement and shock. He sheathed his sword and walked over to her placing his left hand on her left shoulder smiling warmly.

"You still need some practice, but that is some of the best fighting I've ever seen from a new recruit," he praised. She looked at him in shock, because she _was_ going into shock only Ukitake didn't know that until a few seconds later, but he knew something was wrong. He knew that when he praised her earlier she was blushing and would most likely be blushing by now and looking away, but she wasn't.

"Li…are you alright?" he asked releasing his grip on her shoulder. He noticed something red on his hand and when he looked at it, he noticed it was blood, lots of it. He took a look at her back and was horrified. Her back was completely exposed due to the acid burning her clothes and causing her back to become a flaming red from irritation which began to bleed. She was also bleeding an amount of blood from the gashes on her back, which are now worse than what he anticipated when she was cut.

_How could I not have seen this before?_ Ukitake questioned himself angrily.

The young girl literally couldn't breathe now even though she wasn't being held by something anymore. Her pupils were dilating and her skin became vampire white. She began falling to the ground and Ukitake didn't hesitate. He flash stepped and caught her halfway to ground. He held her bridal style and flash stepped as fast as he could over to the Seireitei. Blood was staining his captains' haori and shihakusho, but he didn't care. The only thing on his mind was getting Li to Unohana. He summoned a Hell Butterfly and sent a message to Squad Four's captain, hoping she would get it in time, saying he has a seriously wounded squad member and to be ready when he gets there. He got to Jidanbo and told him to let him in immediately. Jidanbo opened the gate as quick as he could when he saw the girl and how white she looked and the blood dripping onto the ground. Ukitake rushed through before the gate was completely open.

Somehow, Li was still holding onto her zanpakutō, but more importantly, her life which was hanging by a thread. As he made his way to Squad Four, she became incredibly cold, she wasn't breathing and her eyes were closed, but her heart was still beating, which was good sign. He got to Squad Four, where Unohana was waiting for him, good she did get the message, and not a moment too soon, she had him place the girl onto a stretcher and had two Squad Four members rush her into a room. Unohana told the man to wait while she tended to her. He obeyed.

* * *

About two and a half hours later, late in the afternoon, Unohana came out. The white haired man bolted up and basically ran over to her asking, "Is she alive? Will she be alright?" He couldn't bear having her die without hearing her voice in any way possible.

Unohana nodded in agreement, "Don't worry, she's in intensive care, but she'll survive. She is sleeping right now, so you can visit her tomorrow or later tonight if she happens to wake."

Ukitake became less worried and concurred, "Alright. I'll come by later tonight to give her a brief visit, even if she's not awake."

"Would care to tell me what happened? We almost couldn't save her because of the type of poison that was injected into her through the gashes on her back," Unohana asked.

Ukitake told her of the Hollow she fought against and that it shot a type of acid, not poison. It gave her minor cuts on her back, from his perspective, but he didn't realize until too late how serious they had become due to the acid. She would have died on the spot on her first day in her new squad had he not been there to cut off the Hollows tongue which was wrapped around Li. He was grateful, though was regretting taking her to fight a Hollow that big and strong on her first day.

Grateful, because it could teach her how to be careful when fighting a Hollow; strong, weak, big or small.

Regretting because she could have died due to the acid injected into blood stream and even though she still hasn't said one word to him, so far, he liked her attitude and style. She's very persistent and calm of her surroundings. She didn't seem jumpy or excited when they met and wasn't afraid to fight the Hollow. She hasn't spoken yet, but he plans to change that. Little by little and over time, he will get her to talk.

Unohana understood and left. Ukitake stayed there for about five more minutes and just before he left, Rangiku stopped him. She wasn't surprised to see him there, seeing as he's always sick, but she noticed the blood stain on his clothes and began to worry.

"Captain Ukitake, what happened to you? Are you alright?" she asked worriedly. He looked at her in confusion. She then pointed to the blood on his clothes.

"Oh, don't worry about that, I'm alright," he said reassuringly, "but Li almost got killed."

_Is he talking about the new recruit who joined his squad today? _Rangiku thought. _That girl that bumped into my captain and didn't say a word to him earlier today?_

"Uh, who's Li?" the busty woman asked, she kind of knew, but wanted to be sure.

"She's the new recruit that joined my squad today," he replied with a sad smile.

"What happened?" she asked a little concerned.

He spent about another hour or so telling her about the Hollow and the acid on her back from the wounds it gave her. The sun began setting and was close to just falling at the edge of the Soul Society. Stars began twinkling in the sky as it got darker and the moon began to glow in the shape of a crescent.

"Is she alright?" Rangiku asked.

"Yes, she'll survive, but she's in intensive care," Ukitake replied.

"Um, just outta curiosity, why'dya make 'er fight that Hollow? I mean obviously it was too strong for her, so why?" the blonde woman asked.

"Well, it came out of no where while she was in my office and I was speaking with her, and I wanted to see how well she fought seeing as she graduated early. Honestly, even though she got injured and close to death, it was the best fighting I've ever seen a new member do," he praised her even though she wasn't there. "When the Hollow disappeared from her sight the first time, she didn't know where it went until she noticed it behind her a split second too late. But the second time, she knew it would end up behind her and try swinging its tail at her again. When it did, she turned around immediately and cut the tip of its tail off instinctively. Not many soul reapers are that quick on their toes especially when they're new."

Rangiku understood.

Ukitake changed the topic by asking, "Why are you here anyways? It's getting late; you should head back to Captain Hitsugaya. No doubt he's probably getting angry and thinks you're out drinking."

"Oh, I went to give Isane some papers for the next Women's Association meeting. I must've gotten side tracked when I saw you," she giggled, then got a little serious. "You're right I'll head back now, but before I do, ya know she was really rude to my captain earlier today?"

"Really, how so?" the man asked.

"Well-" she was cut off when Unohana interrupted her.

"Li has regained consciousness so if you want to see her, I suggest seeing her now Captain Ukitake," the healer said.

"Tell me tomorrow Rangiku and get back to your squad," Jushiro said. She nodded her head as he walked off with Unohana.

Retsu stopped in front of a door and told Ukitake that Li was inside there. He walked in and she left them a few moments. Ukitake walked over to the bed Li lay on. Her eyes were closed, but her breathing indicated she was awake, for she wasn't breathing slowly or deeply. Ukitake sat on a chair next to her bed. Her big salmon eyes opened and she looked over to see her captain. He grew a warm smile on his face. Her lips didn't form one, but her eyes did. She was glad to see him as well.

"Hey, how are feeling?" he asked warmly. She nodded her head indicating she was alright.

"I'm sorry I put you in that mess and got you injured," he apologized. She looked at him sorrowfully with those big salmon eyes that said it was alright.

"Do me a favor," he asked. She looked at him as if knowing what he was going to ask. "Can you tell me, why you don't speak? At least tell me your name, even though I already know what it is. I want to hear you say your name."

She looked away apologetically. He figured she wouldn't say anything. He sighed and looked away as well. He figured she should rest and visit her tomorrow so he got up and headed toward the door. Just a brief second before he opened the door, a sound caught his attention.

"I don't speak very often because the world doesn't speak," the quiet girl said with a feminine, but strong voice that would almost make someone melt at hearing it. She was now looking at him with adoring salmon eyes. He looked at her both stunned that she had finally said a word to him, but confused at what she said.

"What do you mean 'because the world doesn't speak'?" Ukitake asked now very interested in what the girl was about to say. He walked over to the seat and sat down.

"The world is a quiet place, both the World of the Living and the Soul Society," she said. "The wind in the trees, the flutter of butterflies, the buzzing of bees, and so-on are the both worlds' voice. The trees, animals, bugs, _everything_ are their expressions and they speak for them. That's why I say my expressions speak for me. The worlds have no voice, but they can be heard through everything around you. My eyes, my facial expressions, and my body language are all that I need for someone to understand what I am saying even when I don't speak at all."

Ukitake was amazed at the girl's speech. It made him understand the world even more, even though he is a bit of a nature person.

"And don't worry about my injuries; I had fun fighting that Hollow. It was the most fun I'd had in a while," she said with a smile. Ukitake smiled back.

"Hm, I'm glad," he chuckled. "When you get out of here I want to show you something alright?"

She nodded in agreement and her captain left her rest. That was the most she had spoken in when she entered the academy.

When Ukitake returned to his office, he heard pacing footsteps and peaked inside. Sure enough, Kiyone was pacing back and fourth mumbling to herself inside. Ukitake had completely forgotten he told her to wait for his return which he knew she was expecting to be about an hour, not five. He walked in and Kiyone ran over to him when he did.

"Are you alright Captain Ukitake?" the dirty blonde girl asked. "Why are you covered in blood? Where's the girl you took with you to fight that Hollow?

"Don't worry Kiyone," Ukitake said gently. He calmed her and told her the story in a much shorter version. When he finished, Kiyone was glad that her captain was alright and so would Li, but frightened most of the story, which Jushiro found a little amusing, but not by much. This was long day.

* * *

**Li, Mizu and Tsu-ru are my characters that I made up. I own nothing of Bleach. Anyway hoped you enjoyed it and more chapters will come so comment and review please. And there are no pairings just in case if some of you think that.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Screeching, Black Raven; Silent, Bright Girl**

**Chapter 2: "Remembrance"**

After a long week of recovering, Li was fully healed. She had to go through a few operations so that all the acid was out of her system. Ukitake visited her three times during the week and she got to know him a little better. She was beginning to feel really comfortable around her captain.

Li left Squad Four's relief center a little late at night. She was offered to leave earlier, but she didn't want to. She wanted to walk in the decreasing temperature air of the autumn and soon-to-be winter night…plus she enjoys walking under the eyes of the night sky.

She left at around the time the moon began to shine in the twilight sky. She seemed to rove, but with knowing where to go, on the roofs of the barracks in all the squads she passed through. The few fellow soul reapers that were out at night noticed her and were wondering why she was walking on the tops of the buildings, but no one stopped her from continuing on.

She was doing well with her time, but decided to take a break, and ironically, in Squad Ten. She didn't mind though, she was too happy in thought of how nice, proper, and peaceful her captain was when he paid his visits. He and Hiradoma were very much alike.

She looked up and saw an array of stars painted like glistening dots across the midnight coloured sky. The stars twinkled in every corner of her eyes as the grey clouds flew beneath them. It reminded her of when she and Hiradoma would climb this one oak tree outside of where they lived and go star gazing in the middle of the night. It was a hobby they both shared and they did it every night. Even after Li left for the Shino Academy, she would always find the right tree to climb, and watch the stars be the only light the night sky had to offer; at times when it wasn't a new moon. Plus, if she were lucky, sometimes she would see shooting stars.

One night, about nine winters ago, during winter and much before Li entered the academy, she and Hiradoma were both at the top of the oak tree and wanted to see if there would be any meteors burning in the atmosphere. They saw about one or two go by, and waited another hour or so to see if any more came, but none did. Li had a feeling, though, that there would be more that night, but she guessed she was wrong.

Hiradoma called it a night and gestured for Li to follow her down the tree. As they were climbing down, something caught Li's eye. She turned around to see about three streaming lights. Then another and another. She called Hiradoma back and when she was at the top of the tree, the entire winter night sky was streaming with lights here, there, everywhere for about another ten minutes until it died down. It was the prettiest night Li had ever spent star gazing. It was the first actual meteor shower Li had ever seen in her life… afterlife if that's what you want to call it.

Li allowed a slight smile to curl her lips as she recalled her past. She remembers having much shorter hair that always looked messy no matter how many times she brushed it. Her thick wavy locks cursed her hair into being messy like a crow's nest. She loved it but hated it at the same time. So she decided to let her hair grow out and see how well it would do longer, and turns out, it's better to have it longer than shorter.

* * *

The young captain of his squad, Toshiro Hitsugaya, was walking through his barracks on his way back to his office when he saw the silhouette of a female soul reaper with long hair looking up into the night sky. He had a feeling of who it could've been, but wasn't quite sure. He tried to figure out who this person was standing on the roofs of his barracks' buildings star gazing at this time of night. He had no luck with figuring out who this girl was, so he finally decided to call out to her, but just a split second before he did, the full moon slithered its way from behind the clouds and gave enough light to show it was Li, hypnotized at the star painted sky.

The moon seemed to make her look like Yin. She corresponded to the moon in such a way that made it seem like they were twins that were born for each other. At this moment, she seemed passive and didn't seem to give a damn if something chaotic were about to happen. She had such a mellow look to her face that didn't have that hate, despair, or angst when she arrived just a week ago.

Hitsugaya stared at the girl trying to understand what she was doing and why she seemed so peaceful all of sudden; not that it was a bad thing that she seemed peaceful, but because she had come here without wanting anything to do with anyone and that she was in his squad whe he could've sworn that she didn't like him.

The moon and silhouette of Li reflected off of his turquoise eyes as he stood there in notion.

A gust of wind horsed its way past Li and Hitsugaya making their hair dance with it, but made Li's float with the current and flow of the wind. It made it seem too peaceful to her. She closed her eyes as the wind in her hair made her feel like she was flying. Then it hit him.

He had to speak to her, he needed to hear her voice.

When the wind died, the dark haired girl opened her salmon eyes, and standing before her, was the famous Captain Hitsugaya.

At a time like this, she just seemed not give a care in the world, but when she saw Hitsugaya, it all changed into a face of a dark sorrow. They both looked at each other eye to eye for about ten seconds until Li turned away.

* * *

"_I had spoken with Hitsugaya and he told me about your run-in when you first arrived. I told him that when you were in the academy, you were grabbed by the arm by people who didn't like you and were beaten a lot. He understands now why you gave him that evil glare and wants to speak with you when you are let out of here," Ukitake told Li during one of the three visits over the week._

_Li looked down in angst, but also with sorrow and a feeling she should do something as well. All she did was sigh deeply through her nose and closed her eyes for about ten seconds before reopening them and looking out through the window in her room next to the bed in which she laid in while recovering. The evening sun was about to sink below the Soul Society; about ready to end the last few minutes the day had to offer. The sky was splashed with warm and cool colors of golden yellow, sky blue, orange-red clouds, and a hint of greyish-purple to show the evening sky being born. _

_She turned her head towards the white blanket over her where her legs were curled up to her body. The last few golden sunrays shining over the hills trying to touch whatever else they could before they disappeared, touched Li's flawless peach skin and salmon eyes which made them look a little more like orange and red._

"_Give it some thought alright? He didn't know you hate, and possibly still do, being grabbed by the arm," her captain implored. "I don't want you hating a captain, especially him. You two have a lot in common, but want you to get to know him and him know you…now that's a mission, not a request or order," he said adequately. Li turned her head towards him in a look that plead, "But, but…-sigh-_

"_Alright," the girl said with her strong, feminine-melting voice and a soft, but slightly irked smile. Hearing it for the second time, never thinking he would hear it again, Ukitake though she sounded like an angel sent from heaven itself. He gave her a pat on the head and left. Just as he was leaving, her realized that her smile was as warm as the sunrays above the hills._

* * *

Li stood in thought for a while.

_He said that he had spoken with him,_ Li thought,_ so does that mean he's here to…_ she discontinued her thoughts and shook her head. The girl then placed her curled fist over her mouth, but only in wonder, not anger or hate.

Now he understood. This girl wasn't standing here enjoying the scenery of the night sky gemmary, but she had been recalling a memory from her past; one that had taken place a little while before she joined the academy.

"Ukitake told me that when you were in the academy," Toshiro said. "You were grabbed by the arm multiple times in your time there and you hated it. If I had known, then wouldn't have grabbed you by your arm…Rangiku as well."

Li turned to look at him. The young captain seemed to have an apologetic look in his eyes and face, and a look like he knew what she went through.

The girl turned away again in frustration. He can't possibly know what kind of pain she was put through at the academy. Every day was the same.

Going to all classes, being questioned by teachers whom she would never answer to, on her way back to her dorm room, getting grabbed by the arm and basically beaten to death until someone found her and helped her; whether it be a teacher or someone she never spoke to or anything. People helped her no matter how difficult she would be. Even before she entered, people who lived near her would be scared to be seen with her; always running away from her wherever she may go. The only person she gave her trust to was Hiradoma; the only person who accepted who she was, and she as well.

"I don't know how exactly you were treated in the academy," the young captain said again, a tear snuck its way down Li's check as she began crying silently. "but I can imagine it wasn't a good experience seeing as you're always quiet and not making eye contact with me…or anyone. I know how it feels being rejected and unwanted. I know that-"

He was cut off by a sharp pain to his left check. His head was thrown to the right and he had to take a step back to keep his balance on the roof they were on and placed his right hand on his cheek because it stung majorly.

Without thinking and blinded by her anger, Li gave him a hard back-hand slap to his face. She didn't like hearing that he "knew" what she went through; that he "knows how it feels to be rejected." All those emotions were taken out on the words she never wanted to hear.

Shocked by what she had just done, she cupped her hands over mouth, backed away a few feet, then fell to her feet and began crying heavily. Hitsugaya, completely shocked at what had just happened as well, pulled his hand away from his face to find it covered with blood. He was about to reprimand her, but all his anger disappeared when he saw her crouched to her feet and crying a few feet away from him.

She had never hurt anyone or anything in her life out of anger or frustration. She had always taught herself never to hurt anyone or anything because violence is never the answer and she had learned to live with all the back talk about her and comments and rumors in the academy and before; just those words had made her forget what was going on and take all that anger and hit the nearest thing…Hitsugaya's left cheek.

She felt she shouldn't even be in the Gotei Thirteen a second after she hit him. She felt she shouldn't be alive at all…that she should just roll over die where she is.

All of her crying ceased when a small, but gentle and warm hand was placed on her right shoulder. She didn't look up, she knew who it was.

Still sobbing, the girl looked up to see Hitsugaya trying his best to comfort her; though he's not very good at doing that because comforting people isn't who he really is.

Hitsugaya didn't need any words. One look into his eyes, and she knew he forgave her.

He refused to reprimand her; now knowing what she went through, he wouldn't scold her unless he had to, not because she was crying, but because she had gone through the same experience he had growing up in Junrinan when Momo was away at the academy; kids always running away from him and leaving him to feel unwanted. He felt for her deeply.

"Hey don't worry everything will be O.K.," he said solicitously with his bleeding lip; he wiped the blood away multiple times, but the power behind that slap, but more-so bitch slap, prevented the blood's tiny river to continue its way to his jaw line.

Her eyes were red and cheeks were flushed from crying. She knew in her heart he meant what he said. His childish eyes gave away, that no matter how mature he can be, he is still young and his eyes will always be childish.

When Toshiro saw her salmon, teary eyes look at his turquoise eyes, and even though she wasn't feeling any hate or anxiety towards him, he felt that those eyes could see right through him; that they could see his heart and soul and find out what he was truly feeling; that no matter what she was feeling, let it be happiness, dread, fear, her eyes can and will see into anyone's heart and find the true meaning behind their words.

He didn't have that spine-tingling chill up his back this time. This time, it was a warm feeling that engulfed him into her mind.

He stood up and offered her his hand. She accepted, took hold of his hand, and was pulled up to be taller than him.

"Will you be alright?" he asked as they released hands when she was standing up. She gave him a look saying, "The question is will _you_ be alright?" as she gestured with her eyes to his blood-stained mouth and trickle of blood. He again wiped it but it still bled.

She gave him a look saying, "Sorry," and wiped away her tear-streaked face.

He understood her look and said, "Don't worry about it I'l be fine...it's getting late you should head back to your squad."

She nodded and said aloud, "Thank you."

Hitsugaya only had a split second to realize she had spoken to him before she used flash step and was gone from his sight again. He was glad she had finally said something to him, but confused at why she said 'thank you'.

On his way back to his office, he had forgotten about his bleeding lip, so when he entered his office Rangiku was questioning him about it and was worried about what had happened. He pretended he didn't know he started bleeding and told her not to worry about it. She imagined something else had happened, but he didn't want to explain, so she just took his word for it.

The next day, a whole new thing started. Li wanted to surprise in Ukitake in the morning upon returning fully healed from her injuries, plus he said that he wanted to show her and was intrigued by what it could be.

She walked up to his office door and knocked.

No answer.

She knocked again, and received the same sound-silence.

She slid open the door and saw that her captain wasn't there. He must be around somewhere or in Squad Four seeing as he's always sick. Either way, Li decided to wait for his return; in doing so, she wanted to visit a friend she hadn't seen in around three years basically; her old, and older than her, friend, Hiradoma. Li had spent quite a few times remembering all the fun filled memories they shared and needed to see her again. She felt a little guilty though…Li hadn't paid her friend a visit in the entire time she was at the academy. Never stopped by once. That needed to be repaid. She had to tell someone she was going to Hokutan, in West Rukongai ohterwise her captain would go crazy trying to find to find her. Someone had to tell him in case he came by wondering, so she went to Hitsugaya. Just a few moments before she did, she went to her room and wrote a note. She didn't feel up to speaking to him just yet, especially after what happened last night.

When she finished her note, she went to his barracks. She got to his office, and was a bit hesitant to knock. But before she did, she heard commotion going on inside. she pressed her ear up against the door and heard:

"Rangiku," said a familiar voice. "Stop being so lazy and get your work done!"

"But I'm so tired," said a pouty female voice. "I feel like my head's gonna explode if I continue…"

"You've hardly done any of it," he yelled. "How can you say you're tired when you've only-"

He again was cut off by Li's existence sliding open his office door.

When Li slid open the door, she saw that Hitsugaya was standing next to his desk yelling at Rangiku while she lay on the couch facing away from his desk with a pile of documents on the table between both couches. She had the "what the hell is going on in here?" look.

Rangiku narrowed her eyes a little when the dark haired girl slid open the door and didn't enter. She sat up and looked at her captain. She noticed he had a more subtle look as he walked over to the girl.

"What is it Li?" he asked. All she did was reach inside her shihakusho and pull out a piece of paper, hand it to him, and when he took it, she left without a spoken word.

Toshiro wondered why she gave him a note then understood when he read it. It said:

_Just in case my captain is wondering where I'm at, I will be in Hokutan visiting a friend. _

_-Thank you_

Hitsugaya knew she would need a captain or lieutenant to be able to get outside the gate. So he gave the note to Rangiku and followed Li.

Li walked over to the gate where Jidanbo is. She never really knew who he was, but knew that he was one of the gate guardians to the Seireitei. She wondered as to how she would get out. The giant man asked what her business was to be at the gate. She looked up at him with those big salmon eyes. He somewhat remembered her long wavy black hair when Jushiro was rushing her to Squad Four.

She really didn't want to speak, but it seemed she had to. Just as she was about to speak someone spoke for her;

"It's alright Jidanbo, I'll take her through." Li turned around to see Toshiro walking up next to her. She had wide eyes with confusion written in them. But that all vanished when he took a quick glance at her with a reassuring look.

Jidanbo nodded and opened the gate for them.

As they walked through the gate, she gave Hitsugaya a 'thank you' nod. He returned a 'you're welcome' nod.

They walked through the Rukon District for about ten minutes without saying a word. They were walking through district that had lots of buildings and soon it began to get more forest like. They were walking through Junrinan and Hitsugaya thought that's where they were going, seeing as his granny lives there. But he was wrong. Even though they were still surrounded by trees and a forest with bright lights, they were in Hokutan, close to Junrinan, but not quite.

They were approaching a small pagoda that was near a thin river and a waterfall. There was woman with short, bright red hair that fell to her ears and bangs just barely over her eye brows and slightly slanted, big brown eyes to which had a solemn look in them, much like Li when she arrived in the Seireitei, sitting outside on a step to the inside of the pagoda. She was wearing a short furisode with many exhilarating colors that made her look like a macaw.

Li gestured for Hitsugaya to stay behind a cherry blossom tree, which was crying its spring colors for winter.

The dark haired girl walked over slowly to her old friend. Hiradoma looked much different from the last time Li had seen her. Just before she left for the academy, Li had short, messy, wavy dark hair that had a mind of its own. No matter how many times Li or Hiradoma brushed it, it would always bob up and fall over her face and stand on its ends.

Hiradoma had had longer red hair and it was dead straight. Even the wind couldn't mess it up or tangle it. It was always straight.

Hiradoma was older than she, so that's why they're mostly more like older and younger sister who look nothing alike. The older woman had taken Li into her care when she found her being pounded by local business men in the market closer to where they used to live. Hiradoma came in and helped her and when the men were gone, she asked if Li had any place to stay, which seemed obvious she didn't seeing as she was literally wearing rags and very thin for her age. When she denied, Hiradoma decided to take care of Li and when she did, they moved to a more peaceful, quiet place where Li wouldn't get hurt by anyone.

And as time passed and Li was living with Hiradoma, whom she later nick-named Haru, meaning spring, grew to be hungry a lot. So Hiradoma, or "Haru", had to go to the village market every day to get something for Li to eat, she didn't want her going hungry, ever.

_No wonder why she looked so frail and thin when I first saw her,_ Hiradoma thought to herself one day. _She's always hungry, but I wonder why, usually all souls that come here aren't hungry at all unless…_

The red haired woman thought to herself that Li must have some sort of spiritual powers. That would explain Li's hunger and ability to sense some things that Hiradoma never could. She didn't want to say anything to her though, she felt it would be too much for her to handle. Plus she didn't want Li to enter the academy at such an early age. But then one day, about two years before she entered the academy, Li was outside early in the morning before the sun came to rise, she was sitting on the oak tree outside of where they lived. She was enjoying the constant stars she would see all the time when she and 'Haru' would go star gazing. She calculated where the stars are when the sun sets in the evening and where they are before the sun rises in the morning.

She once stayed up a full night to watch the stars move and slept almost the entire day. Hiradoma scolded her and told her not to do it again because it's unhealthy, but when she saw she had hurt her feelings, she just told her not to do it again and next time take her with her so that she herself could see the stars. They both loved star gazing, even before they met.

Li was watching the early morning sun rise and spotted a man in a black kimono wearing a sword in his sash around his waist. She just ignored, but the man soon approached her. He climbed to the top of the tree where Li was and asked,

"You like to star gaze?"

She said nothing. She just continued hypnotizing her eyes into the dark, morning sky.

"You know, you need to learn to control your spirit energy," he said. "If you keep leaking this much out, you're bound to attract a Hollow, and most likely a big one."

The girl looked at him with confusion.

"Look around," he said gesturing for her to look at the trees. "You're causing all the wind around you and all the birds to fly and chirp, plus you have a dark energy that seems to engulf you. It's invisible, but it's there. Have you not noticed this before?"

She looked around, and noticed that the wind was pretty strong and the birds were chirping rather uncontrollably and she did feel this dark enticement around her. As soon as she realized this, it was gone. The wind died and the birds stopped flying chirping.

"You know girl, you should become-"

"Li, where are you?" Hiradoma interrupted what the man was going to say. Li jumped down to the branch below and climbed the rest of the way down until she was right beside Hiradoma.

The man climbed his way down as well next to the two girls.

"Li, go inside I'll be there shortly," Hiradoma said. The short haired girl obeyed and went inside. She didn't know what was going on, but didn't want to know.

"You do know that she has a high spiritual entity right?" the soul reaper asked after the girl was gone from their sight into the pagoda. The morning sun was beginning to show itself and making the dark sky look of blue, orange, yellow and red.

"Yes-sigh-I know," Hiradoma said with a long pause.

"She's going to have to join the Shino Academy sooner or later," he said. "So why don't-"

"No," Hiradoma snapped. "I don't want her entering that place. She's too young. I don't want her being beat up because of how young she is. She's already had enough pain and suffering…I don't want her going through it again."

"With the power she has she needs to learn how to control it," the man protested. "If this goes on and she doesn't have any training, she's bound to attract a Hollow or hurt someone without intention."

The woman looked down sorrowfully. She knew that Li did need training and needed to learn how to control her spiritual powers. If she stayed, things would only get worse.

"Not yet," she said. "Give or take three years. I'll tell her when the time is right."

"Alright," the soul reaper said. "I'll be back in three years or if something happens."

After that, he left. Hiradoma stood there staring at the ground for about five minutes then went back inside where Li was waiting for her.

And the time came a little earlier than two years. Li was sleeping one night and had been having terrible nightmares about a dark raven.

It started out always the same.

Li would be standing in a meadow full of tall grass that swayed in the wind. Then there would be birds flying all around her of every color. But there was this one that would never fly with the rest of the flock. It was a black bird that would fly when all the other birds vanished. It would fly straight towards Li and get bigger as it did. When it was right in front of her, it would screech and wrap its black wings around her enveloping her into a blackness. The bird would then come from above her head and land in front of her. It would be screeching its name and flapping its wings, but the poor girl could never make out what it was trying to say.

She would then wake up screaming and drenched in sweat.

Then one night, when she couldn't take it anymore, she began throwing things all over the place. She threw her futon, flowers that were nicely placed on a shelf, and began crying. Hiradoma got up and quickly pulled her into an embrace. Calmed her down and spoke,

"Hey it's alright. What's wrong?" she said calmly and shushing.

Crying and moping, Li said, "It's t-that dream I k-keep ha-having. I can't ta-take it anymore."

Hiradoma realized that it was time to tell her about the academy. She pulled away from Li still, holding her shoulders and said,

"Hey, do you remember that man that by about two years ago wearing that black kimono and katana?"

"-sniffle- Yes," Li said wiping her eyes and still sobbing.

"Well,-sigh- he told me - that you have a high spiritual energy and should go to the Shino Academy."

Li looked at her friend in confusion. "What's the Shino Academy?" she questioned.

"It's a place where kids like you go when they have high spirit energy and need to control it; also a place where you can get rid of those nightmares you've been having."

"Will you come too?" Li asked with big salmon eyes that looked like they would shed more tears if "Haru" said 'no'.

All Hiradoma did was smile sadly and pull Li into another hug.

"I'll take you tomorrow alright?" Hiradoma said as if she were about to start crying.

Li walked over to her old friend. Hiradoma noticed a soul reaper walking towards her but paid no attention to the person.

"Hiradoma," Li said.

The woman looked up at Li and said, "Who the hell are you?"

* * *

**Well like i said i would have more chapters...so sorry it took so long to update i was busy with school and homework and a bunch of other stuff. i didn't have internet for a few days and i couldn't do anything about it. anyways hoped you liked it and as you can tell there will be more chapters. Comment and review plz. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Screeching, Black Raven; Silent, Bright Girl**

**Chapter 3: "Whisper of the Wind"**

_When you lose sight of your friend, you want them to remember who you are_

_And they want you to remember who they are._

_If you don't remember your friend, you will forget them_

_If your friend doesn't remember you, they will forget who you are._

_Don't forget each other._

* * *

Before Hiradoma said anything to the soul reaper walking towards her, she noticed that it was a young girl with long wavy black hair. Plus, there was something behind what she was about to say.

When the girl stopped in front of her and said her name, Hiradoma said, "Who the hell are you?"

Most people would think that their friend has gone crazy forgetting who they are; especially when you've lived with them most of your life. But for Li, hearing Hiradoma say, "Who the hell are you?" made her light up inside. Not a second before Li had left Hiradoma's sight for the academy, she told 'Haru', "When I come back to visit, even if it takes ten years or more, I want you to remember this that lets me know you haven't forgotten me. Say 'Who the hell are you?' Or 'What are you doing here?' Something along those lines that lets me remember you and you remember me."

* * *

It was basically Morse code – not like they would ever use it during something serious though - and when Hiradoma said that, Li felt like she was three years younger and back home.

"Humph," Li chuckled with a slight smirk. "It looks like you haven't forgotten what I told you, or me."

"How could I forget?" 'Haru' asked with a mutual feeling then getting into a sarcastic/serious tone. "You left me alone all these years worrying about you and you never came by to visit! I felt so alone…" D:

Li just smiled and rolled her eyes. She looked back towards the crying cherry blossom. Hiradoma looked her way and asked, "What is it?"

Li shook her head and turned back to 'Haru'. They had a little conversation about what squad Li was in, who her captain was, etcetera. This went on for about fifteen minutes.

Meanwhile behind the cherry blossom, Hitsugaya leaned against the tree as he let Li and her friend have some privacy. He had his eyes closed with his head down and arms crossed as if he were in thought.

A small breeze rustled the trees a bit.

Hitsugaya opened his eyes and looked up. He saw a lidth's jay, a very rare Japanese bird in both the Soul Society and World of the Living.

It was perched in the cherry blossom Toshiro stood under. Then it jumped off the tree and flew away. He watched it fly in the direction of Li and her friend. He turned back behind the tree, but noticed something about Li.

He turned back around to see Li, who was smiling and laughing as her friend told her something that Toshiro couldn't hear, but he didn't mind. This was the first time he had seen Li smile a smile of pure joy.

He didn't want to, but he had to tell Li that they had to head back to the Seireitei even though he himself was enjoying the quiet and peacefulness of this part of Hokutan. What he didn't know was that, Li had already said her goodbyes and was walking towards the tree.

His guard was down due to the peace and quiet he was enjoying and as he walked around the tree, he again bumped into someone… that someone being Li, again.

He lost his balance, but caught it and looked at Li, "I hope that won't happen too often," he said to her. She nodded in unison.

* * *

They made their way back to the Seireitei. Hitsugaya went to his squad and Li went to hers.

When she got back, she went to her captain's office. She knocked and heard a "come in" this time.

She walked in and there before her, was Captain Ukitake.

"Oh it's you," Jushiro said. "I was actually about to go look for you."

"That's okay, you don't have to anymore," Li said smiling and shaking her head.

"You seem happy today," he said. Li nodded.

The captain smiled and gestured for her to follow him to which she did.

They walked for about two minutes until her captain began a conversation with her.

"Do you remember," he said looking at her. "When I told you that there was something I wanted to show you when you were recovering in Squad Four?"

She thought for about one second and nodded her head.

"Well, I have a pond full of koi and thought that since you're a bit of a nature person, you would like to see it."

"You have a koi pond?" Li asked as if she were surprised at this (which she was).

"Yes," Ukitake chuckled slightly. "Have you seen koi before?"

"You might think I'm crazy, but I haven't. I've only heard of them, I have never seen them before," Li said.

"Well now you will in just a few moments," he said. "Plus there is something I want to talk to you about when we get there."

"Okay," she said.

_'This is the most I've heard her talk,'_ Jushiro thought as they walked.

* * *

They walked for about another minute or so until they came upon an outdoor area. There was a large pond that looked to be almost in the middle of Squad Thirteen's quarters. It was full of bright colors and there was a bridge that led to the Ugendo Quarters.

The water was as blue as ice and was as clear as a crystal. And in the water were some large, beautiful fish with colors of black and white and orange. A few of them even looked like they had mustaches.

Li's eyes widened with excitement as she started to walk quickly and turn into a run and stop on the bridge leaning far over the side to watch the fish swim all around in the water.

Jushiro followed up next to her and said, "Wow, so really have never seen koi before have you?"

Li basically ignored his question, but only because she was too hypnotized by the way the fish swam around in the water. This was far most the best day she's had so far since she went to the academy.

"Anyways, what I wanted to talk to you about," Ukitake said with a bit of a serious tone.

Li took her eyes away from the water and faced her captain with her listening face on, but still leaning over the side of the bridge.

"I read a little more of your résumé and found out you are an expert in kido, hakudo, shunpo, and swordsmanship and of course that you completed you six years in less than three," he said.

Li nodded at this and stood up.

"So that being said, and with your skills, I would like to promote you to a seated position," he bluntly stated.

Li looked at him like she had just seen a ghost.

"I've seen what you can do during battle," he explained. "You're high on your toes and have fast reflexes and I would want you to teach others to do, if not the same, similar techniques and to observe their opponents when engaging in battle."

Li turned and looked back over the water. No one has ever taken that much interest in her. She thought she was just some lonely misfit who didn't belong anywhere except in the shadows.

"What seat?" she asked silently, but enough for Jushiro to hear.

"Well with your skill, I was thinking maybe fifth. We could use someone like you to fill that position," he said.

_'Fifth Seat Takahashi, that would teach those slimy bastards that are still at the academy, but am I cut out for it?' _Li thought to herself.

She turned to her captain, "You think I'm cut out for it?" she asked.

"What? Of course I do," he said. "I wouldn't be asking you if I didn't."

He did have a point, but still, Li was unsure.

"And what if I'm not? What if I make a complete fool of myself?"

"Stop saying 'what if'. You are a very bright young girl and if you need help, I'll be here," Jushiro said. "There will be some bumps along the way, but you can do this. I believe in you."

Li thought about that for a while, then said, "I'll give it a shot."

"Alright, and don't worry, come to me if you need any help," he said, then walked off.

Li looked back at the koi and smiled, then went off on her way.

* * *

News spreads throughout the Seireitei rather quickly. For within a day of Li's promotion to Fifth Seat of Squad Thirteen, the entire Seireitei knew about it.

* * *

About two years had passed now and Li was doing very well with her position. At first it was a bit rough handling some of the paper work, but she got the hang of it. and now, she was doing as much work as she possibly could and would sometimes get everything done within an hour or two. Everyone would see her walking through all the squads with paper stacked above her head and then it was gone within the next half hour.

She became so busy and such a workaholic, that people, including the other captains and lieutenants, began comparing her with Toshiro. To which Li did not like at all.

The first time she got her work done in a matter of minutes, which would have taken someone about an hour, she overheard someone say to another, _'She's like a female version of Captain Hitsugaya. She's probably got 'im helpin 'er with that stuff.'_

That upset her a bit to know that people compared her to someone she didn't want to be compared to with and that people doubted her potential. But she proved herself worthy and didn't care about other people's opinions except her own and Ukitake's.

She really put herself forward and showed that she should be at a higher ranked seat; Ukitake tried getting her to be the third third-seat, but she refused.

Rangiku had also noticed this and noted to her captain, Toshiro, that she was a lot like him… to which he disagreed. Though he has noticed that she is hard working, and often saw her walking through his barracks to the other squads. She even stopped by his office now and then to give him either a notification, to approve something, you name it.

He had seen her going into the library many times and sometimes walking around with about three -very thick – books in her arms. He guessed she was a hard worker, and liked that about her; liked that she took her position seriously, and didn't slack - unlike some people, but still didn't think she was anything like him.

He also took notice that her reiatsu seemed to be leaking when she went about. And apparently, she didn't notice this. Of course, not everyone does, but he couldn't understand how she didn't notice this white dove following her everywhere she went.

Which wasn't true.

She had noticed the bird and knew it followed her around, she just didn't pay any attention to it or let it bother her.

The first time she noticed it was one morning…

* * *

Li woke up to the sound of a beautiful song. When she opened her eyes, she saw a pure white dove sitting on her chest looking straight at her, and cooing as if it were trying to tell her something.

"How'd you get in here?" Li asked the bird knowing it wouldn't reply. It just tilted its head to the side.

Li looked around and noticed that the windows in her room were all closed, "So _how did_ you get in here?" she asked herself again looking back at the bird. And like before, the bird just stared at her.

Li pulled her hands out from underneath her blanket, and scooped the bird in her hands. She sat up, stood up, walked towards one of her windows, and opened it.

The bright sun glowed into her room filling it with rays of the golden sun and sounds of nature.

She squint her eyes because of how bright the sun was, but finally her eyes adjusted to the light.

"There you go," Li said sticking her hands out, but the dove looked at her like 'what are you doing?'

"Go on this is where you belong, not in here," she said again, but the bird refused to leave her hands.

"You surely are stubborn aren't you?" Li said as she walked outside still in her undergarments.

She walked around the outside of her room (because her room is the last one on that side of the building) and went into a patch of trees.

She put the bird in one hand and with the other, lightly stroked the bird's head and scratched it lightly under its beak as she walked. The bird was happy as it cooed in laughter and closed its eyes.

When the bird reopened them, they looked a certain color which was too familiar causing Li to stop walking. They were a deep gray and reminded her of her raven.

The bird looked up at Li and Li looked down at the bird.

Two, unlikely companions; one a bird as bright as the sun and the other a soul reaper as dark as night; staring at one another as a wind hushed by them ever so slightly, but enough to make Li's hair, clothes and the trees around the two beings flow with it.

She snapped out of her trance and climbed the nearest tree. And yes, with one arm.

She became so experienced with climbing and was such a good one at that, Li only needed to use one arm to climb trees, but used two just to be cautious.

Li climbed to the first branch she clung onto, and placed the bird gently onto it.

She took one last glance at the bird's gray eyes, then finally let go of the tree branch and landed on the ground.

What Li didn't know, was that as she walked away, the dove evaporated into reiatsu and was gone.

She never told anyone of this, not even her captain. She was a bit worried they might say something, like 'you were probably just dreaming' or 'it's impossible for bird to unlock a window from the outside and lock it again'.

She just never told anyone and continued on her merry way.

After that, people started asking her about the bird and if it was hers to which she only shrugged by their questions.

She did wonder why the bird kept following her around, and if it meant something, but just ignored it.

* * *

Sometime around the Summer Solstice and early one night, something aroused Li. She didn't know what it was, but something felt odd.

She sat up, opened her eyes and saw her room was full of white feathers. All over her, the floor, everywhere.

"What the hell?" Li asked herself in a whisper. Suddenly, the feathers disappeared into reiatsu and were gone.

Li looked around, thinking there would be more, but there wasn't.

To clear her mind, she got up out of bed, opened one of her windows, and saw the half-moon that was out this night.

By the way the stars were positioned; Li figured it was around three in the morning.

"What was that about?" she asked herself again. She folded her arms on the window sill and placed her chin on her forearms and closed her eyes.

The leaves on the trees outside her room rustled with a small whistling breeze. It spread across Li's face like water, only a lot less wet, but it was soft. She opened her eyes and saw everything moving in the midnight breeze. It caused her to chuckle slightly.

At that moment, a huge gush of wind forced its way into Li's room. It smacked her so hard, it pushed her back into her room, and she nearly fell down.

She got her footing, and tried closing the window; it wouldn't move. The wind was too strong and so strong, it blew the rest of her windows open and everything in Li's room was being tossed all over the place. She tried closing the same window, but the wind was too strong; it prevented the window from closing. She looked up and saw an enormous whirlwind right outside her window

The wind pushed her back again, this time causing her to fall on the floor.

She got to her feet but was pushed back against her dojo screen door rather hard and she let out a scream.

She fell to the floor again, wind howling through her windows and past her ears. Everything in her room was swirling around like a tornado and hitting her in the face.

Li just sat there, impotent and paralyzed by what was going on as her belongings smashed into her face.

She didn't know what to do. And didn't know why she didn't know what to do. She's not some scared little girl that gets frightened all the time or is shy.

She's not scared, she's not weak, she's not feeble or anything like that.

But at this point, she felt so vulnerable and scared; she just curled up as things in her room lightly lacerated her skin and clothes.

She put her knees into her face and held her arms around them as chaos erupted in her room not knowing what to do. She had dealt with those dreams that felt like so long ago, but really weren't, and this was nothing like that.

She sat like that for about five minutes, which really felt longer, until her entire mood changed. It went from fear to confident. Her fright changed to a bit of a confused, but confident attitude.

For within those five minutes, she thought that this might not be natural. It's not the wind doing this, it's her.

She's the one causing this. And she couldn't help but wonder why or what it meant.

As soon as she realized this, the wind died and everything was quiet.

She stood up immediately, stunned by what had just happened, but also relieved the wind was gone. Everything flying around her room finally subsided.

She rushed over to her broken-hinged window and looked outside to see if anything was destroyed, nothing was.

The outside of her room looked exactly the same as it did the night before.

She then turned her head away from the window and down to her zanpakuto. She squatted down and lightly ran her hand down from the guard of her sword down the sheath and said, "_You_ probably did that didn't you?"

Right after she said that, she heard a faint laughter that seemed to echo and in the same tone heard a 'nope'.

"Huh?" Li said staring at her zanpakuto, but it didn't reply back. She receded her hand and stood up again.

Her room fell quiet again, so she paid no attention to her quiet zanpakuto.

She went to her dojo screen door and slid it open only to see, odd enough, no one around to make sure she was alright… in fact no one out at all.

_'In all that chaos, no one woke to the wind or heard any of that?'_ Li thought to herself before going back inside.

But actually, everyone there did notice, not the wind, but an increase in spiritual pressure, but were too stunned to go outside. The spirit energy was so intense and it felt like it was engulfing them into darkness or a place where they couldn't escape to anywhere.

Some did go outside, but only noticed wind, not the whirlwind. They only felt and saw a large gush of it, then went back inside, but couldn't shake the feeling of how strong the spiritual pressure was.

* * *

The next morning, everyone woke a little shaken from last night, but they were okay. All those soul reapers were talking about it all day, told others from different squads as well and asked if it maybe meant something, but they said it was probably just those one-time things and if there was no damage caused by whoever did that, then they were probably practicing.

Li on the other hand, had stayed up almost the rest of the night trying to fix up her room should anyone knock and or come in, they wouldn't wonder why it was a wreck.

From about three to five in the morning, she stayed up putting everything where it belonged. Because of this, she slept in late and woke at around nine in the morning, her usual, around seven to seven-thirty in the morning.

When she realized this, she immediately got dressed in her shihakuso and when she reached for her sword, she stopped herself. Unsure of whether or not to bring it, she left it.

With her room tidy, she walked to her door, but before she opened it, she saw the silhouette of someone tall and masculine. She held her breath and waited for the knock. Then it came.

'Knock' 'Knock'

She knew very well who it was even before he spoke. So before he did, she opened the door and bowed to her captain.

"Good morning," Li said standing back up straight, looking away from his eyes.

"Well good morning to you to, but you don't have to be so formal," he said.

Li still looked away from him.

"What's wrong?" Jushiro asked.

"Why would you think something's wrong?" Li asked teasingly, looking at the ground.

"Well for one you slept in late, two you seem very fitful and three, you're avoiding my eyes," he said.

"Oh," Li sighed.

"This isn't like you, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"I know that's not true and you know it too," he said looking into her eyes very seriously, but gently.

She couldn't help but look into his gentle eyes. As warm and comforting as they were, she again looked away and began walking away without another spoken word.

Jushiro watched her leave his sight and looked back into her room to see that she hadn't taken her zanpakuto. He assumed she forgot it since she woke late, so he decided to bring it to her, plus there was an assignment he needed her to go on.

As he was looking for her, he realized something. In the two years she's been here, he has not heard her zanpakuto's name. Which is rather odd.

He stopped to take a gander at her sword for a while and noticed the guard of the sword was a crescent. In spite of that, he figured the zanpakuto's name had to do with night and the moon, however he still doesn't know, so he can't be completely sure until he hears the name.

He continued walking and found Li maybe about twenty minutes later sitting in a tree in her secret hideout. The only one that knows about it is Jushiro.

Even though he knows where it is, she's always moving from one tree to another. Never the same one, it's always a different tree every day. And it took him a little while to find her.

She had her legs curled up to her body and her arms wrapped around them to keep them in place. She sat there looking ever so peacefully into the morning blue sky.

Jushiro's feet crunched the grass as he walked over it. It was silent, but not silent enough.

As Jushiro neared the tree, Li heard footsteps and when she looked down, became a bit startled because for one, she wasn't expecting anyone to come and two; it was quiet until she heard footsteps.

She became relieved when Ukitake came into view.

"Oh, thank goodness," Li sighed.

"Oh there you are," Jushiro said. "What do you mean by 'oh thank goodness'?"

"Well, it was all quiet until I heard footsteps and I got scared, cuz, well, who wouldn't get scared when it's really quiet and hear something out of the blue?"

"Oh well I can see that happening, but you couldn't sense my spiritual pressure?"

"Who would? When paying attention to the sky you're not paying attention to anything on the ground."

Jushiro nodded his head in agreement.

Li jumped down the tree branch by branch until she was at the trunk and began walking towards Ukitake.

"You're really good at climbing trees aren't you," Jushiro complimented.

"Climb them almost every day or when I get the chance," Li said stopping in front of him. "But that's like every day so…"

"So what's up?" she asked him with a fake tone and smile.

He noticed this, but didn't want to make her feel worse so he didn't say anything about it. "Two reasons: one, you left your sword in your room –hands Li her sword-, and two I have an assignment for you."

Li was a bit hesitant to reach for her zanpakuto, but reached for it anyway; she didn't want her captain to think something was wrong, even though he already did; and slid the sheathed sword into her obi.

"What assignment?" she asked looking at him this time.

"Tomorrow, a group of fifth year students will be going on a mission to the World of the Living and I would like you to assist them," he said noticing the bags under her eyes.

"I'm not denying it, but, why me?" the dark haired girl asked.

"Well I've seen how you teach some other soul reapers here what to do in battle and would like for you to teach that to the fellow students at the academy," he replied somewhat solemnly.

"Oh, alright then," Li said. "Well I gotta get going."

"Alright, I'll see you later," he said; then the two went their separate ways.

Jushiro watched her leave. He wanted to ask why she was seemed so depressed, but he didn't want her to get even more upset so he left it alone.

* * *

Li roved around the Seireitei on the tops of the buildings, as usual.

Hitsugaya, on his way back to his office noticed her and that something was different about her.

Her head was hanging low. He usually sees her head up and looking at the sky whether it be night or day. Her eyes were shadowed and didn't have any light; even though she is quiet and somewhat distant, there is always some type of light that shines in her eyes and today, it wasn't there. She was walking rather slowly, with no pace and then stopped walking.

The last time they really bonded with each other was a couple years ago, and Hitsugaya thought it was nice to see her a bit more socialized… though he's noticed that she's become rather fond of Ukitake and is a bit jealous that _he_ could get her to talk, however, Jushiro is a kind person and usually doesn't let anything like a quiet person bother him, unlike Toshiro.

But this time, he noticed that she seemed rather distracted and distraught about something. So he went to find out what was burdening her.

* * *

Li stopped in her tracks for some unknown reason and not five seconds into doing that, someone appeared before her. Someone short, with spikey white hair, big teal/aqua eyes and the Squad Ten haori… Captain Hitsugaya.

Li was stunned that he'd shown up in front of her, but then again, who isn't? People are always trying to make her talk, but only Ukitake really could get her spill anything.

The two looked into each other's for about two seconds. Hitsugaya was going to say something, but before he did, Li wandered her eyes from his and Toshiro sais something different.

"Why do you do that?" he asked. The girl looked at him with confusion then away again.

"That, what you just did right now. Why is it that every time I want to talk to you, you either turn your back towards me or look away from my eyes?" he asked again.

Li had no response to that.

"Well?"

Still no response from her lips and she closed her eyes. Hitsugaya was about to say something else, but noticed the bags under eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Mhm, why?" she asked looking at him with deep eyes and holding her elbows.

"… N-nothing, never mind," he said after a pause shaking his head and now turning his back toward her. "If I were you though, I would get some sleep… and, just be careful."

Li used flash step and was gone.

'_What was with that look in her eyes?'_ he questioned himself. '_It was as if she's…'_

* * *

Li went to Ukitake about two hours later and apologized for not doing any of her work and that she'd get right on it, but he told her not to worry about it and that he'd do it for her. She was going to protest, but again he said not to worry about it and get some rest.

Toshiro had stopped earlier him and told him that Li seemed distraught about something, that she had bags under eyes and should get some rest. So she did.

After she left, Ukitake was almost thinking about not sending her on that assignment, but she needed to learn to lead a group to the World of the Living… so she needed this assignment.

She slept for maybe six to seven hours until she woke late in the evening, the sun setting in the horizon.

She felt much better and decided to have a chat with her zanpakuto.

She unsheathed her sword and stabbed it into the wood flooring causing it to break a hole in the floor and making tiny pieces of wood litter whatever part of the floor it could.

She tossed the sheath over by her futon and sat criss crossed in front of her sword.

She began doing the art in Jinzen. This method is the only way to carry on a proper conversation with one's zanpakuto. One places their sword over their lap and takes a meditative pose and then forces their mind to become one with the zanpakuto.

In approximately five seconds, Li's surroundings became dark. She was in her inner world which is a landscape of a dark sky, pure white clouds, shadowed mountains, mist, and one dead tree; in it a black-as-night raven.

"What brings you here?" the bird asked as its voice echoed off the mountains.

"I need to know," Li said standing up. "Why was there a whirlwind outside of my room last night and how come it seemed no one else knew about it?"

The black bird just stared at her with its piercing gray eyes.

"Well!?" Li demanded furiously.

"I shouldn't need to tell you," the bird's voice echoed.

"You _shouldn't_?" Li echoed. The bird shook its head.

"Why are you doing this? Lately it seems like you've been trying to tell me something, but you won't spill a word," Li said as she sat down at the base of the base of the tree. The raven jumped off the tree, flew a few yards away, then spun back around and landed on Li's knee and looked up into her eyes.

"The only reason I can't tell you," the bird said. "Is because I can only show you."

"What do you mean?"

"I know you've noticed the white dove following you around, am I not correct?"

Li nodded her head, "Is that supposed to mean something?"

"Something huge," the feathered creature said.

"What?"

"Like I said before I_ can't_ _tell _you…" the bird said turning its back towards Li.

"Then show me."

The raven turned its head slightly, looked at Li, then flew away.

"Hey," Li called, but her raven was gone.

Suddenly, the mountains looked like they were becoming lighter.

When Li looked around, she noticed the mist around her was becoming thick. Thicker. And thicker. So thick, she couldn't even see the sleeve to her shihakusho or any part of it. She was choking a little on the mist she would inhale; she felt like she was in a whiteout, only without the snow.

Out of nowhere, a huge gush of wind whooshed past Li. She put her arms up to protect her face, then the wind stopped.

When she put her arms down, she saw the ground was covered in white feathers, including the mountains! Everything was white, not a dark color in sight.

From behind, Li felt another gush of wind. She turned around to see a whirlwind.

It was as strong as the one that was outside her room the other night.

She watched it for not more than five seconds, until it died. What was inside the whirlwind, was absolutely beautiful.

Where the dead cherry blossom stand, now stood a fully grown white cherry blossom.

Li was amazed, but confused at this.

"Okay, this is beautiful," Li exclaimed turning her back towards the tree. "But I still don't see what you're getting at."

Silence.

"Hello?"

"Hello," came voice from behind.

Li spun around to see who it was, but no one was there.

"Who's there?" Li asked.

"Up here," it said again.

Li looked up the tree and saw a different bird. This one was a bit smaller and whiter than the average white… it was a dove.

"Who are you?" Li asked eyes widened at what she was seeing.

"I am nothing more than the next power to you zanpakuto," the bird said.

"What do you mean?" Li asked narrowing her eyes and shaking her head in confusion.

"I mean that you are ready to learn the next stage of you zanpakuto," the dove said.

"What's that? You mean I'm-"

"Yes," the bird interrupted her.

"But why? Why now? I haven't one any training with my zanpakuto in the past two years! So how is this possible?" Li asked the white feather creature.

"Many things are unexplainable," the bird said. "And this happens to be one of them. If I were you, which I basically am, I would start training with me. If you don't, many things that you've been experiencing, such as the whirlwind from last night, will progressively get worse."

When the bird finished talking, it jumped off the tree and circled it from the base to the top.

As Li watched, the bird's tail began getting longer as did its body. The tail grew longer and looked like it attached itself to the base of the tree and began looking like a phoenix as it went up.

The wings became longer and it looked like they were flames, but weren't. It was only an illusion because of how slowly fast it was going.

When it was at the top of the tree, the bird was definitely a white phoenix.

The giant bird stared down at Li with its gray eyes and began flying towards her very fast.

Li stood there, not paralyzed, but ready to take the impact. This was her zanpakuto; it won't hurt her intentionally, only if they're battling in their inner world though. As the bird flew towards Li, it opened its beak and screeched. Li closed her eyes and felt a huge gush of wind push her back.

When she opened her eyes, she was pushed against her dojo screen sliding door.

Back in her room, and lying on her back with her head at the sliding door.

She sat up immediately ignoring her head's pain and wound on her arm whose pain hadn't messaged her brain yet, and when she did, she noticed white feathers around her and a small white bird at her still-broken window shutter windowsill.

The bird stared at Li for a few seconds then flew away.

The girl got up as fast as she could and ran to window only to not see the bird. It was gone by the time she was looking outside.

Li must've been doing Jinzen for a few hours, because the sky was black with twinkling lights and the moon was shining

Since there was nothing to do but go to sleep now, Li turned around and walked toward her zanpakuto.

When she reached for it with her right hand and pulled on the hilt, a sharp pain struck her upper arm and she let out a small yelp. When she looked, her shihakusho sleeve and arm were lacerated, drenched with blood and staining the floor.

'_Dammit,' _she thought. '_That phoenix must've hit me.'_

She rolled up her sleeve to inspect the cut. It wasn't deep, but it was bleeding quite a bit. She went to one of her cabinets in her room, pulled out some bandages. She began wrapping her arm up with the bandage, and when it was finished, she cut and tied the bandage in a knot.

After that, she put the bandages away, pulled her sword out of the wooden flooring, placed it back in its sheath and went to bed.

She has to be ready for tomorrow and hopes that her zanpakuto won't get in the way of her leading that group.

* * *

**I am so so sorry for taking like what? three months to get this in? Well i made a promise to myself to get this in before Christmas, which I did, yay :/. Anyways I hope not to take this long with writing the next chapter(damn school gets in the way though), but if I do, then I am extremely sorry, but I promise I will get the chapters in, even if it takes me a year(just exaggerating).**


	4. Chapter 4

**Screeching, Black Raven; Silent, Bright Girl**

**Chapter 4: "The Raven Revealed Part 1"**

The next morning, a warm, early sunshine shone on Li's face through an open window, which woke her up. She opened her eyes slowly, but then bolted herself up immediately. She scanned her room and was relieved that nothing was unordinary. She was sure her zanpakuto might've done something out of the blue again, but didn't.

She sighed in relief and checked the cut on her arm. She pushed the sleeve of her undergarment up her arm and saw the bloodstained bandages. She got up and got some fresh bandages out of the cabinets and sat down on the floor. As she unraveled the stained cloth, she didn't feel any kind of pain from it, of course it had already started healing, but if you ask me, I feel some type of pain when I take a bandage off of my injury.

When the cloth was off, Li noticed, and thought it was strangely weird (how strange can weird get?), that the wound was almost completely healed. There was a mark there, but it looked like it had been a couple weeks' worth of looking how it did.

_What the… I did get this wound last night right? How is it that looks almost fully healed? _Li thought. But she couldn't ponder about this, her assignment to lead that group of fifth year students to the World of the Living was today and she had to make herself look presentable. So, just in case, she put on the fresh bandages she had taken out and wrapped it around her arm. She put her shihakusho on, grabbed her zanpakuto, and headed out the door.

_'Don't do anything imprudent today you stupid sword,'_ Li said to her zanpakuto in her inner mind.

_**'We'll see about that,'**_ the raven chuckled; Li just ignored and hoped for the best.

* * *

Li went to Ukitake first thing. She was walking through the corridors, and could feel his presence. She turned a corner, and there he was, walking as well.

"Hey, morning, I was on my way to see you," he said.

"Same here," Li said slightly smiling, jogging and stopping in front of him, looking up to meet his eyes. "And good morning to you too," she added, tucking a bit of hair behind her ear that fell in front of her face.

"You're doing better today I take it," he said. Li nodded.

"That's good, come with me, I need to give you something before you go," he said motioning for her to follow. Li obeyed and followed behind him.

It took them not more than two minutes to get to his office and when they did, he told the dark-haired girl to wait outside his office. A breeze hushed by Li and carried some sakura flowers with it as she waited. The flowers and breeze brushed her skin and hair as it passed, almost like soft water cascading down her skin. Li turned her head to see the direction they in which they were flying until they were out of her sight.

Ukitake slid open his office door to see Li looking towards her right. He looked in the same direction and asked, "Everything alright?"

"Hm? Oh, yes sorry," Li said smiling the 'what an idiot I am' smile and looking back to her captain.

"Alright, this is a pass for you to get into the academy," he said. "It says what you're there for, what you'll be doing and probably more, but..."

"But you didn't bother to read it right?" Li finished jokingly with a smile and a laugh.

"Sure," Jushiro said slightly chuckling; Li just rolled her eyes. She opened and scanned through the three times folded piece of paper and it said everything that he said was on there. There was a lot more, but it wasn't really important. Just saying what the assignment was and how many students would be assigned to each group… somewhat important, but really, just useless information and a shape of some sort… the form of Yin and Yang.

"Do you know what this shape is for?" the girl asked showing Ukitake the figure on the paper.

"No I don't, but I'm sure they'll tell you," he said like he was so sure of it, which of course he was.

"You're so sure of everything," Li said chuckling lightly. "Alright, I guess I'll be on my way, be back, uh, when I get back I guess," Li said shrugging her shoulders and walking off leaving Ukitake's sight.

'_You should be back late in the afternoon,'_ Jushiro said to her in his thoughts as she left his sight.

* * *

Li walked along the tops of the buildings as she made her way to the Shino Academy, watching her feet as she did. She rushed thorough Squad Ten because she didn't want to meet the eyes of the captain there.

There was something about those big turquoise eyes that reminded her of someone she would often see many times.

* * *

Hitsugaya sat at his office with Rangiku sitting at one of the sofas actually doing some paper work when she picked up a slip of paper and read something interesting that her captain might want to hear.

"Hey captain," she said still looking at the slip of paper in her hand.

"Yes?" he asked not making any attempt to look at her either.

"Did you know that Li Takahashi was assigned to go to the Shino Academy today?" she asked now looking at him.

"Now I do. What for?" he asked, he as well now looking at his lieutenant.

"Well it says here that she's leading a group to the World of the Living for an assignment for the fifth year students," she said summarizing what the paper read.

"Well it's about time Ukitake sent her on an assignment like that," he said going back to his own work.

_'Sheesh, she and captain have a lot in common,'_ Rangiku thought as she put the slip of paper to the side, '_they should get to know each other better, they're smart, got out of the academy early, but I wonder…'_ her thoughts trailed off and continued doing the work in front of her, even though she would only do half of the stack, leaving the other half for Hitsugaya. The slip of paper was only a notification… nothing important of the sort.

Every captain in the Seireitei got this notification, because just like news in the World of the Living, they get notifications in huge stacks of paper.

Everyone knew about it.

* * *

Li made her way the Shino Academy on good time and with no interruptions. She walked toward the massive building and remembered when she first arrived here, a little shorter than now with much shorter and messy hair. As she neared the building, there were two guards out front that stopped her before she entered.

"State your business here," one of them said (the one on Li's right hand side if you're standing in her perspective).

Li pulled out the slip of paper and showed it to the man. He took it and read it over.

"Li Takahashi?" the man questioned and looked at the girl. Li nodded.

"Still not speaking huh?" he asked; the man knew who she was and felt for her during her time at the school, but never made any attempt to help her, which he regrets a lot. Li looked to ground without a word.

"Go on through," he said gently giving her the slip of paper back letting her pass. She took a few steps and stopped beside the man and whispered, "Thanks," then continued walking without looking at him.

"You know where to go right?" he questioned before she was gone. She waved her hand in the air to let him know she did and walked into the building.

"You two knew each other?" the other guard asked.

"Not really, she would always get into fights she didn't start or fight in, and I would always see her getting bullied around, but I made no attempt to help her," he replied.

"Why?" the other asked again.

*sigh* "I don't know, but I regret not helping her every day," he answered.

* * *

Li walked through the many halls of this massive building passing many of her old classes and some classmates as she passed by.

She could hear whispers and murmurs about her as she walked by, but she just tuned them out and continued on her way.

After a few minutes, she made her way to an open field that wasn't empty. It was filled with many other instructors and teachers and administrators. It was possible that she was the only seated officer there from a squad, but she didn't mind. She was there to do a job, not feel misplaced because there were no other seated officers there.

When she stepped into the small grass field, all the talking around her soon ceased and she got stares from everyone there. From all the "normal" people there, she was pretty much the only one that stood out like a dove in a patch of pigeons.

It fell very quiet in the grass field and soon whispers were beginning to arouse. Li knew they were about her and she began to feel awkward from the whispers and glances, so to get away from it, she neared a tree and jumped into it. She sat on a thick part of the tree that split it into the rest of the branches and leaves until this occasion was to begin.

While up there, she overheard (or eavesdropped if that's what you want to call it) a conversation that caught her attention… despite all the other ones going on about her.

"Hey wasn't that Li Takahashi?" a male voice asked. "Yes, why?" another answered then asked.

"I heard she's the new fifth seat of Squad Thirteen," he said.

"What!?" the people around him asked. There was a mixture of confusion, disbelief, and shock in their voices.

"How is that possible?" one of them chuckled. "Don't make me laugh. She's never spoken since the day she got here and left and now she's a fifth seat!? She'd have to work her ass off and speak to a lot of people to get that position… especially the captain."

People around him began to listen to his hatful speech about Li.

"Why, of all people, why would she soon start talking to Captain Ukitake? Yea he's kind n' all, but what makes him so special? I had tried to be nice to that girl, and she wouldn't give me a chance to be nice to her. So you tell me boy, what makes that captain so special for her to talk to?"

'_That captain?'_ Li thought. The moment she heard that, it ticked a nerve inside her that now made her speak up to all the people she never spoke to, plus she had enough of this man's ranting on about her.

"I-I don't," he began but was cut off by Li.

"'That captain'?" Li asked echoing the man. Everyone soon turned to the tree Li now stood by. "You say it like it's a bad thing that Ukitake is the only person I started talking to ever since I left this hell hole."

Everyone grew silent, for they hadn't expected Li to start talking here and now.

"But I'll tell you what, the only reason I am able to talk to him is because he reminds me of a better place. He reminds me of home. He was patient with me. He didn't force me to do anything I didn't want to do," there was a glint on Li's eyes that said 'I hated you all from the start'. "Yes of course I did the paper work and filed some stuff, but did he get irritated when I wouldn't answer his questions? No, but you all, you tried getting me to speak when you knew I didn't want to, you tried forcing me instead of taking your time! And if you think I'll forgive you for everything you did to me, you are _dead _wrong, and I'm talking to you Daisuke. Don't think for a second, that I haven't forgotten or will forget everything that happened to me at this and what you did. You let those stupid kids torment me and assault me, you were always watching, and what did you do? Nothing, just like the lazy ass you are."

The entire field became swarmed with silence and everyone turned their heads back to Sazame. Daisuke was his first name and he did not like it when people called him by his first name, icluding other instructors and people at his level, which everyone thought was rather odd, but they never spoke his first name. It made everyone in the field hold their breath for what he was about to say.

"Don't you dare talk to me that way Takahashi, it's disrespectful for someone of your level to call me by my first name," Sazame stated.

"Level? Oh, I see, you still think I'm a student here don't you?" Li asked slyly which caught his attention, it was true, he thought Li was still a student because she hadn't really changed, "Well here's a newsflash for you, I'm a fifth seat now and you are just a teacher at this school, I'm not saying I'm all this and that and sorry if that's how it's coming across, but your level over mine… had expired two years ago."

Without being able to find the right words to say, Li had won the argument. Isamu was a mean man, and she was glad she finally killed him with words.

"You go Li!" a woman in the crowd said. Li and everyone else turned their heads to look in her direction. "You should be proud. No-one has ever been able to win an argument against Sazame. It pays to speak your mind once in a while, you should've done and should do that more often," she said smiling. She was one of three, people who liked Li's style, and she understood her, but could never be her shoulder to cry on if she needed because she was always so busy, and any time she was free, Li was nowhere to be found, in her case anyway.

The field began to fill with clapping and cheering for Li's speech. It didn't last long and when it was over, the woman said, "Just remember that language is our way of communicating, not just actions," she said calmly, her Caribbean blue eyes piercing through Li's salmon eyes.

Li thought that she was the most stunning and most beautiful person of all the people she's met. She had silky sun-blonde hair that was always tied into a side ponytail with a red ribbon, that wasn't wavy or straight, but had a slight bounce to it; with bangs covering her forehead and eyebrows, and then those stunning eyes.

"Thank you Miss Shoji," Li said to the woman. "You're a fifth seat now, call me by my first name, Kiyomi," she said. Li stood there a little stunned by what she said, but said 'okay' with a smile and a nod of her head.

Not a moment later, the person in charge of this whole group assignment came up with all the fifth year students behind him.

"Good morning," he said. "Good morning," everyone chanted at the same time, including Li, though she said it quietly.

"Now I know you all have been waiting here a while so I'll just cut to the chase," he said. "Each of you were given a slip of paper that has a certain shape on it. The name of whatever shape you may have has the name underneath it in case you may not know exactly what it is. If you would, please pull them out."

He gave everyone a few moments to pull out their slip of paper and find the shape on it. Li pulled hers out and found the figure of Yin and Yang.

"Alright, I will call everyone up based on their shape," he said. "And based on shape will determine which students will be going with you for four students have the exact figure on their own slips of paper like you all do and I will call out those students' names… As soon as your group is filled, you are to leave with your group to your designated area immediately. Now the first one is the shape of a dandelion…"

* * *

After maybe fifteen minutes ( if Li had a watch she'd know), there were about ten people left including herself, as they waited for their shape to be called. Finally Li was up.

"If the person with the Yin and Yang symbol would please step forward," he said to which Li obeyed.

"Li Takahashi, it's been a while hasn't it?" he asked without looking at her… she didn't reply anyway. "Alright Takahashi, you're four students are, Mamoru Sone," he said. A tall boy, around five-nine maybe five-ten, stepped out of the much smaller crowd and walked towards Li and stood behind her to make up as part of her group. He had sun kissed skin, slightly slanted, but fairly large brown eyes and brown hair in a short pompadour.

"Yuki Ozaki," he said again. A short, young looking girl around five feet tall stepped out of the crowd as well making it smaller and making Li's bigger. She had short, strawberry blonde hair styled into a messy bob with small gray eyes and pale skin.

"Hana Sumida," he called another name. This time, a tall girl, around Mamoru's height walked out of the crowd and headed toward Li. She had caramel colored skin with copper hair in a hime cut style and green eyes.

"And your last student is," he said, but the student had already made his way out of the crowd before his name was called… and Li already recognized him. He had shaggy, jet black hair with fair skin, and ginger eyes and was Li's height.

_No, anyone but him,_ Li pleaded in her mind as her eyes grew slightly wide from the figure before her.

"Ryota Takeshita."

Li's eyes grew wider as horrible memories began swarming her mind when the name was called. Lots of kicking and punching and blood everywhere, it was all a mess.

"Hey Li, it's been a while hasn't it?" Ryota asked clearing Li's vision of her not-so-long-ago past, and said rather calmly, which caught Li's attention as he filled her group as the last student.

_Huh? That's strange,_ Li said in her mind,_ he's never…_

"Alright Takahashi, you may go on your assignment now," the instructor said interrupting her thoughts.

"Wha-Yes sir," Li said coming to her senses. She began walking away with her group behind her as the instructor called out the next person's shape and the students that would be going with him or her, she wasn't paying attention. What she had most of her attention leaned on was the fact that Ryota didn't sound like did four years ago, he sounds like he's trying to be nice to her.

_Said hi to me before, _Li finished her thought as she lead everyone behind her to the Senkaimon to go to the World of the Living, eyeing Ryota as they walked.

_Something's not right…_

* * *

And she was right, but couldn't quite tell what it was. Behind the trees hidden in the shadows, stood an ominous presence, but which no one could sense, smiling evilly as he followed Li and her group to the World of the Living.

* * *

**Okay, chapter four uploaded. Hope you like it... I know it's a bit shorter than the other chapters, but I'm trying to make different parts to the tittle of this chapter. Not even I can wait for chapter five, I wonder what my mind will conjure up. Anyway hope you like it, till next time.**


End file.
